Day 10: Mandara Hut to Horombo Hut

Today is all about the sun. It is very bright all day long.

We came out of the rainforest into moorland. There isn't a lot of rain up here so we see a lot of long, drought resistant grasses. It is a huge change from the rainforest.

Mawenzi

We get our first proper peek of Mawenzi today. It is very pointy, much more like what I am accustomed to seeing as a mountain. We are not climbing Mawenzi  at all. We chase it all day until we get our first view of Kili.

Kili

With the altitude and clarity of the air, it doesn't look like it is far away. It almost looks achievable! We are warned, however, that it is indeed very far away.

Kili plays peek-a-boo with us due to the clouds and landscape. The route we are on is called the Coca-Cola route because it us so easy (and Coke is easy to get). Let me tell you - this is a misnomer. It is very steep and today we are taking frequent breaks. The sun is a huge factor; it is not hot, but it is persistent. We are often reapplying our sunscreen and I still managed to burn the back of my hand.

Kili and Mawenzi

The last three kilometers to Horombo hut are steep and rocky. I have to focus my attention on my feet and the path directly in front of them. I cannot look ahead or behind right now as looking ahead makes the path seem impossible and behind has nothing but hill and rocks.
 

Porter and Taxi

There are seven climbing routes on Mount Kilimanjaro: Lemosho, Machame, Marangu, Mweka, Rongai, Shira and Umbwe. Each route has a porter trail that runs nearby and the public is not allowed to access them. The porters carry up everything an expedition needs, including water, food and equipment. They often stay on the mountain, in separate cabins and tents from the climbers. They are very limited as to what they can carry, weight wise, so each expedition requires many porters. For our five person team, we had  14 porters (including our cook and waiter).
Among the many tasks a porter has is rescue. They have limited first aid skills and if all else fails, they carry people off the mountain. We see this porter (not part of our team) carrying what our guide calls a Kilimanjaro Taxi. It is a simple steel frame stretcher basket on wheels. Yes, he is carrying it on his head.
We did not see the stretcher descend.

Kilimanjaro

When we arrive at Horombo Hut, we can see the sun reflecting off a town below. This is our first sighting of civilization since climbing the mountain. It doesn't look as far away as it is. The altitude and thinness of the air is playing with the field of vision.

This is Moshi, Tanzania. The town is an hour away from the park gate if you're driving.

The climb is starting to get a bit more challenging. I make it to 3720m above sea level.

Tomorrow will be fun.